Middlesex DA Marian Ryan looking to keep job -- but first she has to get elected

WOBURN -- A few months before Marian Ryan was appointed Middlesex County district attorney, she was in court as the lead prosecutor dealing with the aftermath of the drug-lab scandal.

In April, after more than three decades as a prosecutor, Ryan, 58, was appointed by Gov. Deval Patrick to fill the unexpired term of Middlesex County District Attorney Gerard Leone, who resigned to take a job at a Boston law firm.

To keep her current job, Ryan, a Belmont resident, must run in the 2014 fall election. Until recently, she was the only one who tossed her hat into the ring. But now Middlesex County Clerk of Courts Michael Sullivan has confirmed he is challenging Ryan for the job.

How does a prosecutor, who is prohibited from speaking publicly about cases outside of court, balance being the county's top lawyer against the demands of a fast-paced, high-profile campaign?

Ryan declined to be interviewed for this story.

She did, however, issue a statement. It reads: "I am a career prosecutor; that has been my life's work. For years, as an assistant district attorney, I've had the privilege to represent the commonwealth on the most serious cases, from child abuse and elder abuse to homicides, and I've developed prevention initiatives with our community partners and law enforcement throughout the county.

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The statement added that as the district attorney running for election, "a part of my job is to communicate to the electorate the important work that this entire office -- 258 prosecutors, victim-witness advocates and support staff -- does every day in courtrooms and in communities across Middlesex County."

"This is a complex job and, historically, voters in this county have shown they value experience, electing career prosecutors to lead this office," the statement continues.

Reilly: "My experience ... is that voters are more interested in your qualifications."

Leone and former Middlesex DA Tom Reilly were once in the same position.

"My experience as district attorney -- and, for that matter, attorney general -- is that voters are more interested in your qualifications for the position and more focused on whether you can actually do the job," Reilly said.

"For sure, there's a political dimension, as you have to raise money and campaign, but in my opinion, if you do, it comes down to who is the best person for the job," he added. "At least, that's the way it worked for me."

Leone had been first assistant U.S. attorney and anti-terrorist coordinator at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston when he won the job as Middlesex DA in 2006. He had never run for nor held a public office in his life.

Leone: "You have to become used to and adept at dealing with the press."

Leone, a former New England Golden Gloves referee, had a "public persona'' and media savvy, said attorney Frank Talty, co-director of the Center for Public Opinion at UMass Lowell.

Leone now works for the Boston law firm of Nixon, Peabody. He said if a DA candidate can transfer skill sets used as a trial attorney, such as being able to think on one's feet, then he or she will be able to "navigate'' the world of politics.

"You have to be able to learn something new and adapt to it to get elected and stay elected,'' Leone said.

A DA candidate should be active in promoting and developing programs that reach the community, something Ryan has been doing for years, he said.

What is "critical'' in Middlesex County, more than any other part of the state, is to be aware of the media, Leone said.

"This area is covered a lot by the media,'' he said. "You cannot be a district attorney in Middlesex County without appreciating the importance of public communication and the media. ... You have to become used to and adept at dealing with the press.''

If the candidate or the DA's office has a misstep, Leone's advice is to "own it, be transparent about it."

"The public isn't stupid,'' he added.

Among the legal community, Ryan is well known and liked, Talty said.

"But that only gets you so far, especially in a big county like Middlesex,'' he said.

Where legislators running for public office have an edge over a former prosecutor running for office is in fundraising, Leone said.

Talty said running a political campaign is "completely different'' than managing an office of any kind.

"It requires a different skill set and to develop a different network,'' Talty said.

Leone stressed that getting advice and help from those skilled in fundraising and networking helps, along with "learning to use your personality.''

Of course, party politics is a completely different beast.

"Party politics is minimized for anyone who wants to be a DA, but once you jump (to higher office), it becomes very politicized,'' Leone said.

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